Soft cold snow and warm wet snow in the Stanford Rocks area

Location Name: 
Stanford Rock
Region: 
Blackwood Canyon or Ward Canyon Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 01/04/2013 - 13:00
Location Map: 
United States
39° 7' 23.592" N, 120° 12' 11.8044" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Sheltered N-NE aspects still holding several inches of soft cold unconsolidated snow on the surface at all elevations in this area. In some areas patches of surface hoar had formed and were present at the end of the day today. In the lower elevation trees some areas had become icy due to snow falling off of the trees. On the E-SE-S aspects wet sticky snow existed in sun exposed areas by 1pm. In the shady areas on these aspects thin crusts existed in some places and soft snow in others. Ski cuts on test slopes, handpits, snowpit tests, and general observations did not yield any signs of instability in this area today. Probing showed that the Dec. facet layers are buried between 175cm and 195cm below the surface in this area.

Video: ECT on a NNE facing 30 degree slope at 8400 ft.

Photo 1: Surface hoar on a northerly aspect at about 7900 ft.

Photo 2: Close up of the surface hoar

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

2013 01 04 Stanford 001

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
Clear
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Calm
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Direction: 
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: